All Day

Berlin: Perhaps All the Dragon

Sharjah Art Foundation – Bait Al Serkal Arts Square, Sharjah

An interesting take on the ‘six degrees of separation’ theory – the idea that all people are no more than six social connections away from each other. In an intimate setting, spectators are seated at a large oval table, each [ ... ]

Free

Hatshepsut: The Woman Who Would Be King

kanvas Dubai Unit 1, Al Khayat Art Avenue, 19th Street Al Quoz 1, Dubai

Actually, she was king (sort of). This "groundbreaking immersive show" covers the life of Hatshepsut (c. 1507–1458 BCE), the fifth Pharaoh of Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty – ruling first as regent to her stepson Thutmose III, then as queen regnant. She dressed [ ... ]

AED 50

Hamilton: An American Musical

Etihad Arena Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

The multi award winning musical is making its Middle Eastern debut for an extended run at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena (to 11 February). Lin-Manuel Miranda’s book, music and lyrics have created something of a revolutionary moment in theatre – it’s [ ... ]

From AED 180

PLUMA

Festival City Mall Dubai

A circus experience (no animals!) under the big top, courtesy of Cirque du Liban. "Watch in amazement as our acrobats defy gravity, through the air with breathtaking precision"; the narrative, such as it is, concerns a girl (the titular Pluma) [ ... ]

From AED 95

Dhai Dubai Light Art Festival

Al Wasl Plaze Expo City, Dubai

Dubai is finally getting a light festival. The inaugural Dhai Dubai Light Art Festival features installations by seven established Emirati artists and runs for 10 nights (26 January to 4 February, 6 to 11pm) in Expo City's Al Wasl Plaza. [ ... ]

Free

Reel Palestine 2024

Cinema Akil Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

The UAE's annual festival of Palestinian stories delivered via independent and alternative cinema is back, and with massively enhanced relevance. The films, mostly in Arabic with English subtitles, are ... The Teacher dir Farah Nabulsi (2023) A Palestinian school teacher [ ... ]

Mostly AED 52.50

Emirates Litfest

Festival City Dubai

The UAE’s biggest and best literary event is back, with the usual cornucopia of writers, creators and thought leaders – a total of around 160 events at Festival City from 31 January to 6 February. The line-up includes the 2023 [ ... ]

[Various prices]

Candlelight: Best of Opera Classics

Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

An evening of opera hits with Isabel Maria Canada Luna (soprano) and Aldo Dotto (piano), lit by candlight and located under the gazebo in the Emirates Palace's Oriental Cafe.                

From AED AED 250

All Africa Festival

Etihad Park Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Three days of African vibes, described as "the UAE’s largest celebration of Africa’s rich and diverse cultures in all their vibrant expressions and representations"; we're promised "an unforgettable mosaic of performances, artistic, culinary and culturally immersive experiences". It's built around [ ... ]

From AED 150

Ras Al Khaimah Art

Al Jazeera Al Hamra Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah Art, the new incarnation of the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Art Festival, opens to the public at 9pm on Friday 2 February. As ever, it’s at the Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, which has increasingly been [ ... ]

Free

Ketu

The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

An adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s courtroom drama 12 Angry Men, transposed to Punjab in the 1890s (and delivered in Punjabi, with English subtitles). The members of a jury deliberate a guilty verdict that means death for the accused; one of [ ... ]

AED 100

Judit Böröcz, Bence György Pálinkás and Máté Szigeti: Singing Youth

Sharjah Institute of Theatrical Arts Calligraphy Square, Sharjah

The original Singing Youth is a larger-than-life memorial statue of three young people by Greek sculptor Memos Makris, a political refugee in Hungary. In 1953, the statue was installed in front of a sports stadium in Budapest; it still stands [ ... ]

Free